Heathen Power
by J.S.Mallory
Summary: A new Shadowrun team is hired for a search and rescue job for a wayward sibling.  What initially appears to be a straightforward job, evolves as they investigate.  Their search of a poor corner of Renton unearths a twisted force hiding in plain sight.
1. Chapter 1

I recently began running Shadowrun in my work place for a group of people who have never gamed before. These characters are their creations and this story was something I put together to showcase some the things their characters are capable of doing within the system.

_**Heathen Power**_

Fiona Glenarm was busy. The Renraku field office in Seattle was always a busy hive of activity, but today seemed especially energetic. Her department had flooded her desk with progress reports on the many tasks she was overseeing and it seemed as though a crushing tide of deadlines were closing in.

"Oh, you have a five o'clock meeting with Kuchinawa-san to discuss the acquisition of the Daikida property. He's still asking far too much for the business, but the senior partners have faith that you can talk him down to a much more reasonable price for the buy-out," Diane Kendall, her personal assistant was telling her, as she scanned through her calendar. "If they ask for anything over six hundred thousand, we're paying too much."

Fiona sighed. "Why are we acquiring these people? They offer nothing our company doesn't already do better." Her shoulder-length brown hair was tied up in a bun as she scanned the assorted documents on her desk regarding the buyout, showing the tips of her pointed elven ears. It was a rare sight in a company known to be prejudiced against metahumans, but her skills as a negotiator had defeated those who had moved to block her advancement.

"Their top developer has some pretty revolutionary ideas, but he is loyal to the Daikida owner. If we take the company, we can use his skills and cannibalize the rest. The fact that Neo-NET wants him as well justifies this measure. Any means we have to steal something out from under that wyrm, Celedyr makes it justified."

Fiona nodded, closing her green eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose slightly. "All right. I'll do what I can."

The comm rang and Fiona stabbed the connect button. "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Glenarm, but I have a Mr. David Wapner on line three for you?"

"Thanks. I'll take the call," she said and looked at Diane. "If you'll excuse me, this is a personal matter."

Her assistant nodded and headed for the door. She gave Fiona a semi-suspicious look before closing the door behind her. Once the door was closed, she activated the eavesdropping countermeasures in her office and connected the call.

"Good day, Judge," she said to her fixer, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Good day to you too, Gemini. I have some work for you and your team. Think you might be interested?"

"Things are pretty busy here. What do you know of the job?"

"New employer. Independent contractor, sounds like Good Samaritan type stuff. Wants to hire people to find a lost family member."

Gemini mulled it over. She has seen these P.I. Style jobs before and they were rarely what they seemed. "What do the others think?"

"Haven't called them yet. Your schedule is always the busiest, so I thought I might talk to you first."

"Can it wait a day? I have deadlines I can't miss over the next 24."

"I think so. I'll talk with Mr. Johnson, but they didn't state a time crunch."

"All right. I'm in if they're willing to accommodate my work schedule."

"I'll let you know if anything changes, but the moment I get details on the meet location, I'll pass it on."

"Perfect. If there's nothing else, I have a conference to prepare for if I want to make this meet with Mr. Johnson."

Judge laughed. "Desk Jockey... all right. Talk again soon, Gemini."

The fixer disconnected and Fiona shelved her runner persona, resuming her corporate self, as she prepared to steal and dismantle a rival company.

* * *

><p><span>Club Penumbra, Seattle – May 23, 2072<span>

Gemini entered the nightclub and studied the interior. The one-time king of the nightlife in Seattle had seen its lustre fade over the years, but for its age, the club still turned out a decent crowd. Some famous DJ stood in a raised booth, overlooking the dance floor, scratching out his own mixes out of popular tunes. The bar poured out real alcohol which attracted the purists to the stools. It was there she spotted the first of her team. Alberich was nursing a beverage as he kept watch over the dance floor for anything suspicious. The red-headed dwarf was perched on a stool, studying the crowd. The broad-shouldered man focused his pale blue eyes on the crowd and when his eyes crossed over Gemini, he nodded and smiled. A healthy dose of paranoia was pretty much par for shadowrunners, but she suspected that his positioning was more an opportunity to enjoy undiluted alcohol.

Moving around the outside of the club, Gemini noted a hole in the crowd and sure enough at the centre was De Madera. The Spaniard was handsome and well dressed. Women were immediately drawn to him and he could charm almost anyone with warm words and a gracious smile. However, his brand of narcissism grated on most within moments, and beneath his friendly exterior dwelled a selfish and cold individual. His powerful connections made his presence in the party a necessary evil for them to operate effectively, so the team had learned to deal with his antics.

Conversely, Astrid was on the dance floor drawing single men in large quantities. She bounced to the music in attire that accented her figure in all the right ways. Her blue eyes sparkled in the lights and her blonde hair flowed freely over her shoulders. She encouraged the men around her to show off, but promised nothing in return. Her skills at seduction were always a careful exercise in psychology. As flirty and attractive as the mage was, there was always a careful play involved. In crowds such as this, attracting lustful men to her side was a way to mask her aura from casual observation by other mages, hiding her magical power amongst the strong emotions of those around her. As much as De Madera disliked mages, Astrid's place in the team was ironclad, as her gifts were in high demand.

As Gemini neared the booth where the meeting was to take place, she saw a woman sitting there. She nervously fidgeted in her seat and seemed to be uncertain whether to go ahead with the meet or leave out of nervousness. Gemini studied her body language, trying to establish whether the nervous exterior was a well-done facade or genuine.

"So, what are we looking at?"

Gemini jumped slightly, as she turned to see X3 standing less than an arm's length away. She hadn't seen the man approach and if she were on the wrong side of the man, she knew that this conversation would never have begun. Dressed in a simple suit, attending a meet was one of the rare times she got to see X3 as someone other than a dangerous assassin. His Filipino features were altered with cybernetic replacements in his eyes and ears, though the bulk of his most dangerous improvements lay hidden beneath the skin. When he wore a suit, he merely looked like a cybered up bodyguard rather than anything more deadly.

"Newbie. Not corp, that's for sure. She's practically vibrating in her chair. I think we have a genuine Jane Doe here."

"How does a civilian hire people like us?

"Empty their savings... whatever she wants, she'll be desperate enough to risk everything. That being said, not being familiar with our line of work outside of what she sees on the trid, she'll offer everything right off the bat. I'll offer her an exit clause so we gain her trust, which will get us some leverage when the job is done."

"Exit clause? Does that mean we might not get paid?" X3 asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"No, we don't work for free, but diminished returns, if we screw up."

The Filipino runner nodded. He was a consummate perfectionist and the idea of failure wouldn't enter his mind.

"I think we've kept her waiting long enough," Gemini said, sending a signal to the assembled team that it was time.

Gemini strode over to the table with a pleasant smile and passive demeanour. X3 stayed close, but stayed back enough to not present an intimidating front. It was required with some employers, but not one who was already terrified. "Good evening, Ms. Johnson. Were you looking to hire my team's services?"

The woman looked up and seemed surprised about Gemini's appearance. A definite sign that all she knew of runners were the image portrayed by popular shows. "Uh...y-yes. Please, have a seat."

Gemini remained on her feet at first as the rest of the team filtered out of the crowd and made their way into the booth. Their potential employer looked from runner to runner and seemed surprised by those gathered. The mages wore nothing that identified themselves as such and only X3 was obviously augmented. Gemini sat down once everyone else had settled in.

She subvocalized to Astrid, "Watch her closely for signs of falsehood."

"Already on it," she said, watching their employer's aura. "Wow, she's nervous... maybe even a little afraid."

"Thought so. But we need to watch for any change in her temperament."

Putting on her best smile, Gemini attempted to make eye contact with their employer. "So, what did you have in mind for us, Ms. Johnson?"

"I, uh..." she said, trying to pull her eyes away from X3. When she pulled herself away from his cybernetics, she locked eyes with Gemini. "I need you find someone. His name is Robbie, er, Robert Monroe. He went missing a couple days ago."

"What relation is he to you?"

"P-pardon?"

"You called him Robbie. That tells me there's some form of personal attachment involved. Knowing how important he is will help us determine how best to treat him when we find him."

"Oh, OK. He's my brother... we talk every couple of days or so. Lately he's been getting distant and now he seems to be gone altogether. He doesn't return my calls and he hasn't been home in a while. I'm getting really worried."

"No deception..." Astrid reported under her breath.

"All right. Now why come to us with this? I'm sure Knight Errant could look into this for you..."

"I've spoken with them, but because my brother is unemployed and in a poorer neighbourhood, they couldn't promise me a swift response. It's not like him to just vanish like this and I'm afraid for him."

Gemini looked to her fellow teammates for signs of concern, but thus far there wasn't any. "Well, I think we can be of service. How much were you willing to offer us?"

"I've pulled together 20,000¥. It's the best I could do..."

Divided five ways, there would be little payment for the team's time. There was a murmur of unease amongst the team about the low profit margin, but it was good for their reputations to take on the occasional 'feel-good' job.

"I'm sure we can work for you, Ms. Johnson. I will also offer you an exit clause. Should we be unable to locate your brother, we'll only take half for our time and compensation for spent resources."

Ms. Johnson smiled and relaxed some. "Thank you so much. I know you can find him..."

"We will do our best, Ms. Johnson. How can we reach you once we've found your brother?"

"You can call me on this number," she said, sending her commcode to Gemini's commlink. "Oh and this is my brother's address. Hopefully that will help."

"I'm sure it will. We will contact you soon, Ms. Johnson. Have a good evening."

Gemini rose from the table and walked toward the exit with the rest of the team following close behind. Finding a quiet corner of the club, she turned to face her teammates. "Thoughts?"

"I think we're doing this work for charity," X3 said. "I've made more walking grannies across the street..."

"She's genuinely distraught," Astrid said. "I think our reputations would benefit from doing this, low pay grade or not."

"It may help our rep, but it could also label us as suckers," Alberich said. "It's a bit of a gamble we're taking here."

"Every job is a gamble," Gemini said. "I spend my 'real life' destroying the lives of Joe and Jane Average in the name of selfish ambition. Every once and while, it's good for the soul to do a good deed."

The team seemed divided. X3, Alberich and De Madera seemed sceptical of the positive effects of taking a low paying job, but Astrid and Gemini were confident that they had made the right choice.

"Well, we're on board now," De Madera said with a shrug. "At this point, I guess we just do the best job we can and hope you're right about this."

The runners nodded. Whether they agreed on principle or not, they were committed and now had to earn their pay.

"Well, if we're doing this, I guess we should check out this guy's home," X3 said. "I'll find a way inside and do some recon."

"I'll go with you. It'll help get the job done sooner," Alberich said.

"I'll get in touch with my contacts," De Madera said. "Find out what I can about the Monroe's and any questionable ties that might justify his disappearance."

"Sounds good," Gemini said. "Astrid can provide overwatch for anything unusual in the astral plane. I'll see about securing us some extra funds to cover our investigations. Everyone keep your comms open so we all remain current on the situation. Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

The residence of Robert Monroe was a scuzzy-looking apartment complex on the East side of Renton. The lack of police presence, while a boon to the team, was taking an obvious toll on the residents of the area. Signs of gang presence and open criminal activity were everywhere. Robert's building had been tagged by a gang sign, likely an indication that they were "offering" protection services to the people within. When the team arrived, however, the gang seemed to evaporate, recognizing sharks entering their little pond.

"Charming locale..." Alberich said, looking at the neighbourhood. "What are the odds this guy just missed a payment with his protection racket?"

"Pretty decent," X3 said. "Need me to interrogate some gangers?"

"We'll check the apartment first. No need drawing attention to ourselves if we can help it."

X3 nodded and headed for the front door. The outer security door had a broken lock and the door pulled open freely. "Great security here... why do I get the feeling we stepped in it with this job?"

Alberich nodded but didn't comment. If Gemini was right, the good reputation would do them good, but he couldn't help but be sceptical. Jobs from new Johnsons were typically unpredictable.

The elevator was broken and it appeared that it had been for some time, so the runners took to the stairs. Evidence that the stairs had been used for interrogations, brawls and late night trysts were strewn about on the ground and they made endeavours not to step in anything potentially incriminating.

The door to Robert's apartment was locked and undamaged, which ruled out a forcible kidnapping. X3 was ready to break down the door when Alberich motioned for him to hold fast and produced a set of lockpicks. After a minute, he heard the lock disengage and he turned the handle.

The interior was the telltale sign of an unemployed bachelor. Cheap, soy product wrappers lay strewn about the counter tops in the kitchen, unwashed dishes cluttered any available flat surface and a hacked commlink for Matrix pornography lay permanently attached to the old trideo unit.

"As sad as it is, I think this might be a better place than mine..." X3 joked, as he moved about the refuse, impressively not disturbing any trash as he navigated around the furniture.

Alberich activated his commlink. "We're inside. Nothing out of the ordinary from what we expected. No signs of struggle. I think X3 wants to move in."

The Filipino runner flipped Alberich the bird as he continued his search of the space.

"Copy that," De Madera said, "I've spoken with some 'friends' and these Monroe's are as unremarkable a bunch as any we've dealt with. This guy Robert barely appears as a blip on the radar, even for these people. His sister is a file clerk at some small programming firm, called Daikida. Barely more than minimum wage... she must have been saving for years to be able to offer us 20K."

Gemini muttered something under her breath that no one caught. The knowledge that the woman that was paying their salary would soon be unemployed, thanks to her efforts, was not a comfortable sensation. "I have a small slush fund we can use for legwork. It's not much, but hopefully it'll help cover us until we get paid."

Having a well-paid corporate job, Gemini made a point of keeping a small percentage squirrelled away in case of emergency: disappearing for a while, paying people off, etc. Better to have a safety net in their line of work.

"Good. I owe some dangerous people money for the digging they did on this guy. I'd rather not make them wait long," De Madera stated.

"Hey, Alberich!" X3 called from the far side of the apartment, "You'd better take a look at this."

The dwarf navigated the sea of debris and followed the cybernetic assassin to the rear of the apartment. "Ho-ly shit..."

The master bedroom was a blend of religious shrine and psychotic nightmare. Crucifixes rested on most flat surfaces here and the room was immaculately clean, in comparison to the rest of the apartment. Black paint had been used to paint crosses of various sizes on the walls and in a few places, the walls had been carved with a blade of some kind to depict the cross as well.

"Uh, Madera? Any of that info on Monroe's profile mention religious beliefs?" Alberich asked.

"What have you found?" Gemini asked.

"The cuckoo's nest," X3 commented, as he inspected the room further.

"The bedroom is very Christian... obsessively so. I think this guy owns more crosses than most churches."

"According to his SIN profile, he's Agnostic, so I think something's definitely changed," De Madera said, scrolling through Robert's profile.

"Let me check it out," Astrid said before falling silent. Alberich felt a cold shiver wash over him, a telltale sign that someone was astrally scanning the area, if you knew what to look for. "OK, something's definitely up. There's a strange astral echo in that room that isn't present in the rest of the apartment."

"Religious fervor? Maybe some form of mental break?" Gemini asked.

"Neither. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say emotional control by a third party. Not cast in the room, but strong enough to leave a lasting impression."

"So, now what?" X3 asked.

"See if you can find any information as to where he goes to worship. If he's that deep into it, we're more likely to find him at the church than his apartment, I think,"

"I want to scan the church. I have a hunch whoever is casting spells on him will be doing so there and it's possible that Monroe isn't the only one being influenced," Astrid said.

"If there's a chance I can put a bullet in a wizard that's finally snapped, I'm in," De Madera said.

"Found it," X3 said, pulling out a leaflet. "Southside Evangelical Church. Not too far from here. Any bets that this preacher is the fire-and-brimstone type?"

"Got an address?" De Madera asked.

"Sending it to you now," X3 said, scanning the leaflet and forwarding it to his teammates.

"All right. You guys get out of there and keep an eye out for Robert coming home. Madera and Astrid will head to the church and take a look around. I'm going to call Ms. Johnson back and see what she can tell me about her brother's religious views."

* * *

><p>The Southside Evangelical Church was a brick-and-mortar style church that had been around for a long time. The building showed its age prominently, though it appeared as though it was being upgraded after an increase in cash. The exterior was being mended and the grounds groomed to be a social hub in the community, rather than another grey building in a fading neighbourhood.<p>

"Looks like tithing is up here," De Madera commented seeing the scaffolding on the Church exterior. "Strange, seeing how destitute the area is."

"Agreed," Astrid said, scanning the outside for any signs of astral tampering. "There's nothing outside that hints of any kind of power site having been set up."

"I guess we're breaking in to take a look around?"

The runners walked toward the church and Astrid nodded to the holographic billboard that had been added to the church lawn. "Nightly sermons? Not just for Sunday mornings any more it seems."

"Feel like sitting through some propaganda?"

"I suppose it's the easiest way for us to find out what's going on inside. Let's find a nice spot toward the back where we can observe the congregation closely."

Much like the exterior, signs of change were appearing inside the church. The stained glass windows had been painstakingly restored or replaced. The pews had been refinished and the cracked floorboards were being mended. Despite the restorations, the front of the Church was decidedly lacklustre. The pulpit was a faded wooden stand, barely big enough for a Bible. The large crucifix at the front of the church was faded and cracked.

As De Madera and Astrid stepped into the Church, they were both surprised at the size of the congregation. There was little place to sit, as every row was filled to capacity. In order to keep a wary eye open, they opted to stand against the back wall during the sermon.

For everything the pulpit lacked, the preacher made up for it. The man exuded a powerful presence as he got up behind the pulpit and opened his Bible. His attire was a simple robe and his own appearance was nothing striking: a middle aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, chiseled facial features and a thin build. But his confidence standing before the congregation was commendable and his belief echoed amongst the congregation.

As the sermon began, those gathered were a mixed series of reactions. Those at the front were enraptured by every word and as you moved further back, people were less enthralled. Some even seemed bored.

"See anything yet?" De Madera asked Astrid.

Viewing the astral, she could see the background count in the Church building as the people were being wrapped up in the religious fervour. The priest at the pulpit showed as possessing some form of magical potential, though he wasn't using any spell presently. As Astrid studied the people watching, she scowled.

"Problem?" De Madera asked.

"The priest is definitely a mage, though I can't tell if he's the one leveraging Robert. The congregation though... while their reactions are mixed, they all have one trait in common: they're acting like junkies."

"Junkies? How do you mean?"

"The people at the front are enraptured by the sermon, but they're also eager for the end. The ones at the back are enduring the sermon awaiting the end. Something's going to happen toward the end to calm them. Keep an eye open...it could be subtle."

"I am. While you've been looking at the pretty colours, I've found our mark. Front and center..."

Astrid followed De Madera's gaze and saw Robert, huddled into one of the front rows, staring wide-eyed at the preacher. "If he's one of the enthralled, he's in pretty deep."

"So I guess we're done then. We've found him and he's safe. A religious nutjob, but safe."

"I'm not so convinced. Let's wait out the sermon."

Astrid settled back against the wall and listened to the sermon more intently. The man was quoting passages from the Bible, selecting the more violent ones, borrowing heavily from Revelations.

"Chalk one up for X3," she said, thinking back to his fire-and-brimstone comment.

As the sermon wound up to fever pitch, she detected the presence of magic building in the hall. A powerful spell exuded from the priest, causing the congregation's mood to mirror that of their leader. Erecting a wall of defence, Astrid shielded herself and De Madera from the mind-altering effects of the spell.

De Madera shuddered and looked at Astrid. "Just got a case of the willies. What the hell are you up to?"

Astrid didn't answer right away and De Madera followed the mage's gaze to the priest. "OK, what is he doing?"

"Emotional control..." Astrid said behind clenched teeth. "Pretty powerful spell too. I think that's the residue I picked up from Robert's apartment."

"Is that what these people are addicted to?"

"No, I don't think so... there's something else involved."

As the sermon wound down, the spell's effect began to fade and priest seemed tired from the exertion. He invited everyone to the front for communion and people filed into the aisle to partake in the wine and wafers handed out by the priest.

"There! That's it..."

"What's where now?" De Madera asked Astrid after her sudden outburst.

"Something in the wine or wafers is the source of the addiction. Everyone is sated after partaking. They're now feeling some form of chemical euphoria..."

"The communion shit is drugged?"

"Can you think of a better way of keeping your flock from wandering off?"

"This guy's a real piece of work..." De Madera muttered.

"I think we need to have a chat with the preacher, don't you?"

"All you want to do is chat with him? I'd like to hit him in the face with a stun baton."

"We'll talk first. Then stun baton."

As communion wound down and a half-sung, half-droned hymn was sung, the congregation staggered out of the church, all blissfully waving to the two runners as they waited for everyone to leave.

"OK, that was creepy..." De Madera muttered.

The priest remained at his place at the pulpit as the two runners approached. "What brings you to my humble Church? You attend my sermon and yet refuse the words of the Lord, nor partake in his blessings."

De Madera wound up to let loose a tirade, but Astrid motioned to him to be still for the moment. "So, you acknowledge that you're forcing your beliefs on those here by magical coercion?"

"The Children of Eden are stubborn and foolhardy in these modern times. Sometimes the words of the Lord need to be pushed harder than conventional means."

"And I'm sure the drugs don't hurt either," De Madera said, rolling his eyes.

"Narcotics are the tools of the Devil and have no place in this House of God. I find your accusations baseless and offensive."

"Really? Then how do you justify the reactions of your 'sheep' during communion?" Astrid asked.

"They've purged their souls of sin and replaced it with His righteousness. It is only natural to feel rejuvenated afterwards."

"Of course..." Astrid shaking her head. "I'm sure Knight Errant will be quite interested in you suppressing the will of the neighbourhood. They don't take kindly to rogue mages."

"My poor child, if you'd only let Jesus into your heart, I'm sure there would be no cause for alarm."

Astrid was ready when the priest fired another spell, this one directed solely at her. Being familiar with the workings of the Influence spell, she quickly dismantled it and glared at the priest. "Perhaps you should consider not trying to convert those more gifted in the Arts than you..."

Firing a Manabolt at the offending priest, she was surprised to see the attacked silenced before it struck home. Tendrils of black energy caressed the priest's aura and before she could establish their nature, a wave of energy erupted from the man and struck Astrid in the chest.

Visible to Madera, a blast of light flew from the priest and struck Astrid, flinging the mage across the church and slamming her into the rear wall with enough force to crack it. Astrid fell to the ground in a heap, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Oh shit!" De Madera said, as he retreated, making his way to Astrid.

"Take your heathen witch from my sight and never return, unless you are willing to accept His good graces into your heart," the priest said, an ever-present smile on his face.

"Accept this into your heart, asshole," Madera said drawing his pistol and firing. The bullets flattened mere inches from their intended target and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Must... go..." Astrid muttered. "Weird magic...help me..."

Madera picked Astrid up, draping her arm around his neck and trying his best to support her weight. Activating his commlink he signalled the team. "I need assistance! Astrid's down!"

Limping away from the church, the priest's laughter echoed within the walls of the building, chasing them out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"How is she?"

Madera sat down in a nearby chair and looked at her teammates. "She'll live. The doctor my associates sent over patched her up and now she's doing some form of restorative meditation, or some weird mystic shit. So, our mark is under some kind of hypnotic control or something this priest is putting out. We could snatch him next time he attends Church, which is pretty much every day by now, but I think he'll be violent if we did that. If we want a happy delivery day, we're going to have to break this priest's hold over him. Problem is, the bastard appears to be bulletproof and our best mage is down and out at the moment."

Gemini looked to Alberich, "Can you take this guy on?"

"Lower his defences and I can get him no problem. Magically, if Astrid's run-in with him is any indication, he's out of my league."

"He's bulletproof... what about sword-proof?" X3 asked.

"We don't know if his barrier spell is bullet-specific or not. But with all your implants, you'd be an easy target for his magic. We can't risk you becoming a convert," Alberich said.

"So where does that leave us?" De Madera asked.

"Where we started," Gemini said. "So we treat this like a new job. Madera, see if your people know anything about this church. X3, tail the priest, learn his habits and his daily life. Stay well back, so if he has any detection magic up, you won't be found. Alberich, keep an eye on Astrid. We don't know how vengeful this priest is and whether any of his flock will come after her. I'll go chat up the congregation and learn what I can from them. We need to figure out this guy quickly before he has enough devoted followers to wage a Holy War on the non-believers of Seattle."

"So, everyone else?" De Madera said with a short laugh. "I'll need some of that slush fund of yours. These guys have helped us twice and now I'm about to go for dessert. They're going to want something this time."

Transferring several thousand to Madera's commlink, Gemini steeled herself. "All right, you guys find out what you can, and I'll go talk to crazy people."

* * *

><p>Astrid found herself in a small village. The smell of salt was heavy on the air from the sea not far away. The town was a quaint village of wooden homes with thatched roofs. The technology was nonexistent here, practically medieval. Her injuries were gone as well. Despite the strangeness here, she felt totally at home. After a moment's reflection, she realized that the trance she had put herself in to help the healing process had had the side effect of putting her on a vision quest.<p>

"Welcome, my child."

She turned to see the smiling face of her Patron, Tyr. The Viking man was broad shouldered, tattooed and handsome. His square jaw showed a little stubble and being shirtless, his perfect physique was easy to see.

"Master Tyr!" Astrid quickly knelt before her Patron God.

"Please, there is no need for you to kneel here. I am here to guide you. Come. This way."

The Viking man led her to one of the thatched roof cabins and stepped inside. Roast pig turned on a spit, heavy leavened bread sat next to a pot of something that could be considered soup. Two heavy cups full of mead sat beside the fire. Tyr sat down lifted his glass, took a healthy pull of the alcoholic beverage and looked at Astrid. "So... why are you here?"

Astrid gave her patron a perplexed look. "I...I thought you were going to guide me."

"In due time, but you need to understand things fully before I know where to guide you to."

Astrid tore off a piece of bread and thought for a moment. "I guess I'm here because I failed."

"Ah, is that what you think?"

"Didn't I? I had my enemy before me, I used my power effectively and efficiently, as you've taught me. And instead of success, I was badly injured and had to be dragged off. Victory should have been mine."

"You've only got half the lesson, my child. The warrior is victorious when he has planned and measured out that success. You were unprepared for that challenge."

"The nature of my work is to deal with the unknown. How can I prepare for success over the unknown?"

Tyr sat for a moment as Astrid ate the bread she had taken. "Do you know the story of how this happened?" he asked, holding out his right arm, showing the mangled stump where his hand used to be.

"You sacrificed your hand so the great wolf Fenrir could be bound by the other Gods."

"Very good. Sometimes, warriors need to make those sacrifices and withdraw. We learn from the experience and can approach it anew, wielding our newfound knowledge."

"OK... but I didn't really learn anything, aside from the guy had far more magic than my readings first told me."

"Even that is valuable information, but think back. You are missing something."

Astrid took a swallow of the strong mead, but the alcoholic sting seemed to sharpen her reflection on the events at the church. She had watched him intently the entire sermon and his magic had seemed so slight. She had already blocked two of his spells when she had made the decision to strike him down. Then the blackness moved in...

"That black energy... what was that?"

"Take the information you already know. You already have what you need," Tyr said.

"His power was weak, but when I moved to stop him...something else intervened. He's using borrowed power!"

"Very good. What can do that?"

"A spirit pact. Something that feeds off of worship and devotion. He brings it followers and it gives him power. Probably masquerading as something from his own beliefs."

"You're a good student, Astrid. Now that you're armed with new knowledge, how to defeat your foe?"

"Kill the spirit. Destroy the pact, destroy the man."

"You are ready. Fight your battle and show me your victory."

Breaking the trance, Astrid shot bolt upright in the team's safehouse and looked around, slightly confused at first.

Alberich looked at her and smiled. He was in the midst of cleaning his weapons when he spoke. "Welcome back. Feeling any better?"

"Where's the rest of the team?" she asked, looking around for the others.

"Out doing some legwork. Why, what's up?"

"I think I've figured out our latest problem."

* * *

><p>The team gathered around the battered Astrid, who was still clutching her ribs in discomfort. Upon hearing Alberich's call, most had returned promptly. Only De Madera had not yet returned, citing a need to complete negotiations before coming back.<p>

"Well, we're here. Madera's on his way back, but he's patched in through the network. What have you found out?"

"While I was recovering I had a vision from Tyr..."

"Oh this ought to be good..." De Madera muttered over the commlink.

"Madera, quiet!" Gemini said shortly. "Go ahead."

"He had me go back and learn from my mistakes at the Church. As I was playing things back in my head, I realized something: the attack that hit me didn't come from the priest at all."

"I beg to differ," Madera said. "I saw a bolt of light fire from him to you. No one else could have fired that."

"It could happen if the priest has made a spirit pact."

"A what-now?" X3 asked.

"It's like a bargain one makes with a powerful free spirit," Alberich said. "It can be a risky proposition, depending on what the spirit wants in exchange."

"What is this, a swap meet for mages then?" Madera asked.

"In a crude sort of way, perhaps," Astrid said, "The spirit lends power to the mage in exchange for what it needs to sustain itself. Usually, it leeches from the pact member, but in some cases the mage can use surrogates."

"The church congregation..." Gemini said, the information sinking in.

"Exactly. The larger the congregation, the more emotions to feed on."

The door opened and Madera strode inside. Closing and locking the door behind him, he sat down opposite Astrid with a scowl of his own. "I might have found another wrinkle just to make things even more entertaining."

"You have got to be kidding me..."

Madera sat back and took them through his investigation. "After everything that went on at the Church, it made me wonder. My friends have only recently shown any interest in the place, because of its rapid increase in size. The place looks to be totally above board otherwise. However, after the priest denied any knowledge of the drugs in his communion crap, I took a look at the idea that maybe he really didn't know."

"That's a stretch," Astrid said.

"It's a stretch, but it paid off. The drugs are being added by a third party. The wafers are being prepared at a little bakery in Chinatown. Apparently some entrepreneurial Triad member bought the place up and has been baking trace amounts of Red Mescaline into their confections to drum up a loyal customer base before jacking the prices. They've been doing it intermittently so not to get caught by the cops, but their competition knows something's up."

"So these people are getting high on hallucinogens during communion, think they're really seeing God and come back regularly?" X3 asked.

"Think of it as a more Pavlovian response. They go to church, they feel real good and the longer they're away, they start feeling worse again. Rather than feel unhappy, they attend church more often. By going to church more often, they're exposed the priest's magic more and really start to believe his gospel. They draw in friends and family and the disease spreads," Gemini said. "So how do we stop it?"

"Stop what? We're diverting from our original mission here," X3 said. "We're here to get this guy Robert. How hard is this?"

"Until we break the hold this spirit has on him, it's too much of a hazard, both to us and him to just snatch him off the street. We need to get rid of this spirit and the priest," Astrid said.

"Do we really want to allow the Triads to sell Mescaline-laced cookies to kids on the street? We may not be getting paid for all this, but we can't just sit idly by..." Gemini said. "They're all connected."

X3 sighed. "All right... so how are we doing this then?"

Everyone sat quietly for a moment considering options. "It's going to take most of us to deal with the priest, but I don't want the Triad to catch wind of their largest customer getting taken down." Gemini mused aloud.

"I'll deal with the Triads," X3 said. "It'll be quiet and clean."

Gemini nodded. She didn't always approve of X's methods, but when it comes to drug-laced food being sold to the public, they deserved what was coming.

"All right. Astrid, this priest is your field of expertise. What do you suggest?"

"The priest is drawing all his power from this pact he's made. I need to draw this thing out of hiding and kill the spirit first and foremost. Once we destroy it, the priest will be easy. Alberich, that will be your job. When you get the signal, drop him quickly."

"Done."

"Madera and Gemini... you guys will have to be in the church."

"Won't he recognize me? I did shoot at him...tends to make people remember you," De Madera said.

"Have X3 doctor you up to look different. I need you stay close to Robert. When things go down, he may get violent or he may panic and try to flee. You need to keep him close."

"Can I pacify him? I can always hit him with a stun baton and keep him from getting far."

"No permanent damage, but that is likely the safest course. Gemini, you need to keep the priest distracted. If he gets wise to what I'm doing, he'll move to assist the spirit and I'd be hard pressed to stop them both."

"I'll do what I can."

"Alberich, you will need to plan out your shot carefully so only the priest gets marked and no civilians get hurt. Work with Madera and Gemini to figure something out to that end. That's more your area than mine."

"I'll check the surrounding area for a good vantage point and come up with a plan," Alberich said.


	4. Chapter 4

With the area around the Southside Evangelical Church in disrepair, Alberich had little issue with finding hidey holes to set up shop. Dressed down in drab attire and a courier's backpack, he found an abandoned tenement house with a good view of the side of the church. He climbed up to the uppermost floor of the house and quickly picked the lock to one of the apartments.

Unlike most of the apartments, this one had seen minimal squatter presence over the years, probably due to the padlock that had been recently put on the door. Finding a window with a good view of the church, Alberich pulled out the contents of the courier bag: his disassembled Ruger rifle, a localized scanner and a woollen blanket from a thrift store.

He assembled his weapon and rested it against the wall once it was calibrated. He activated the scanner to watch for any inbound signals and moved the rifle to his lap. He hunched over against the wall, hiding himself under the blanket, presenting the front of a squatter to any who might happen by. Now he just had to wait for the signal to move.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for this?"<p>

Astrid looked up at Gemini. "As ready as I can be. When the job is done, I'll need someone to get back here and check on me. This is likely going to be hard on me and while I hope to hit this thing hard and fast, this isn't without risk. Keep a doctor on standby."

"You've got it. Best of luck, Astrid."

"You too."

Gemini and De Madera left the confines of the safehouse, allowing Astrid to focus on the task ahead of her. "Lord Tyr, I ask your blessing for the coming battle. May your wisdom and guidance serve me well."

* * *

><p>The sun was setting in Renton, as the congregation gathered at Southside. Gemini stood back, watching as people filtered into the church. She spotted Robert Monroe eagerly moving through the door to find his place near the front.<p>

"Our mark's on his way in," she reported over the comm channel. Almost immediately after the report, De Madera rounded the wall of the church. His face had been altered with a combination of latex and nanopaste and his skin tone lightened to look more Northern European than Spanish. He had altered his body language to display far less confidence the Madera typically displayed. Sidling into the trickle of foot traffic, he stepped into the church to try and find a seat close to Robert.

Gemini kept track of people as they entered the church and realized that the crowd was a little bit larger again than what Astrid and Madera had reported earlier. The growth of the congregation was swift and it meant less room to manoeuvre if things went poorly.

"I'm ready," Astrid said. Gemini hit the timer on her commlink, counting down from three minutes. She grabbed the tiny black package she had brought with her and got herself in character for the distraction she had opted for. She only hoped it would buy them enough time.

* * *

><p>Astrid sped through astral space as she projected from her body and headed toward the church. What felt like minutes in astral space were fractions of a second in real space and in an eye blink, she had arrived at the church. Astral space here had changed since she had been here last. A latent background count was forming as the spirit's power grew and given much more time, the church would begin altering the surrounding space as well.<p>

Sliding through the outer wall of the church, she looked around the congregation. A mix of scepticism, elation and a craving that could only come from addiction filled the air. The sensation was palpable and Astrid found herself sharing slightly in that craving, even though she had never once taken the drug. Pushing the sensations aside, she studied the crowd. She saw Robert Monroe's aura, front and centre yet again, his aura portraying a dangerous level of devotion, bordering on obsession. He was nearly an irreconcilable follower now and he would have a long road to recovery.

Directly behind Robert was De Madera. While his body was concealed, his aura could not be masked. Gemini's task would be to keep not only the priest distracted from Astrid's actions, but not scanning the congregation for familiar auras.

The priest was beginning his sermon, welcoming people to the church and exuding an aura of confidence and righteousness. His attentions being on his words, he wasn't watching the astral plane, giving Astrid free reign to search for the source of the priest's power. She studied the priest for a spiritual tether, but the spirit had done a good job in concealing its location.

"If I were to mislead a priest into thinking I was manifestation of his God, where would I..."

Astrid looked to the large faded cross behind the pulpit. Most inanimate objects had no aural presence, but the crucifix glowed with a dull light. Originally, she had disregarded it, as some items of holy worship can take on echoes of those who pray to it. But giving it greater scrutiny, she smiled. She readied her magic and moved in close to the cross.

"You can stop pretending now. We have a score to settle."

An explosion of light erupted from the cross, invisible to all those in the church but enough to cause Astrid to recoil. A large spirit stepped from the cross, in the form of an angel. Its wings were alight in shades of crimson, its body glowed in a deep violet armour and its halo a pure wreath of flame. Two bright points of white showed where its eyes were and they narrowed to slits as they scrutinized the mage before it.

"You dare to threaten me, human? I have little to fear from an insignificant creature such as yourself."

"I respect your power, spirit, but I cannot allow you to continue to exploit these people. I do not fear you."

"You cannot defeat me. Accept your fate and surrender."

"I think you'll find I'm full of surprises."

Astrid tapped into the local mana and spoke swiftly under her breath. "Oh Great and Wise Tyr, I call upon your grace and power. I call upon my ancestors and request that my name be sung in Valhalla, as I wade into battle. May the Valkyries claim my foe on this day."

The astral plane distorted as a spirit stepped in from its native plane alongside the mage. The muscular frame of a woman emerged from the ether. Wearing a helmet of gold, the Guardian Spirit stood a foot taller than Astrid. A skirt of leather and metal circled her waist and a robe of white light draped over her shoulders and between her bare breasts. One hand clasped an ornate shield of blue and silver, while the other held an enormous spear, its tip wreathed in an electric blue flame.

The angelic spirit looked at the Valkyrie-made-manifest in surprise. The summoning had taken a toll on Astrid, conjuring up such a powerful spirit, but on her own she would be defeated for sure.

Astrid drew power into her hands as she readied her manabolt. "For Glory!" she cried, as she hurled herself at the free spirit. The Valkyrie raised her spear and let out a yell composed of the cries of fallen warriors, leaping into the fray.

* * *

><p>The priest was winding up for his big opening of his nightly sermon, when his face slackened slightly. A brief moment of confusion crossed his face and the congregation waited with baited breath to learn what was the matter. De Madera wondered if Gemini had missed her cue and his hand reflexively went to his weapons, should things unravel.<p>

"Stop!"

Gemini strode into the centre aisle of the Church, holding a Bible aloft in her hands. Her voice filled the space and immediately drew the attention of every member of the congregation. "You cannot continue to give these sermons."

"Who are you to tell me I cannot worship in God's house?" the priest spat.

"You are twisting the word! You only speak of retribution and sin, but ignore the greatest truth."

"Oh and what would that be?"

"God's love! Ephesians 2:4-5, But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved."

The priest glared at Gemini. "How... how dare you quote the Good Book to me! I am His vessel. I know the Bible better than you ever will!"

"First Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong," Gemini recited from memory. Using her adept skills, her voice came on strong and her words stuck in the minds of those gathered, weakening the hold the priest held over them.

"Luke 1:50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation," the priest fired back.

Gemini stood in the aisle, countering the priest's volleys, verse for verse. As the exchange progressed, the people gathered became less and less certain over their viewpoint. The priest continued to fire off words about God's Wrath and the end of days, while Gemini stuck to verses of acceptance, redemption and forgiveness. The crowd slowly began to turn. Those not engrossed by the priest decided that this wasn't the church for them and went for the door and even some of the repeat visitors were starting to rethink their views.

"You're corrupting the minds of my flock!" the priest yelled. "Stop your meddling, or I will call down his Wrath upon you!"

"You are the corrupter here. Perhaps God has had enough of you distorting his lessons. If you continue on this course, perhaps his retribution will fall on you..."

* * *

><p>In the air over the congregation, Astrid and her spirit waged war with the free spirit that fueled the priest's persuasive abilities. A blast of energy struck Astrid hard and somewhere distant she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Astrid shakily got back up and once again began channeling the power needed for a spell.<p>

"What is happening?" the spirit asked, looking over the crowd below. The aura of the space was shifting and detracting from its power. "What are you doing?"

"Winning," Astrid said, hurling a manabolt at the spirit. It let out a scream of pain before the Valkyrie ran its spear through the angel's chest.

The free spirit let out a roar of frustration, grasped the spear that impaled it and snapped the weapon off. The Valkyrie let out a mournful cry, just as the free spirit wheeled around and dashed the Guardian to the plane it had been summoned from.

Unsure of how much she had left in her, Astrid opted against another spell and threw herself at the spirit channeling her energies into the charge. The two auras collided, tumbling end-over-end. Driving the spirit to the ground, Astrid straddled the spirit's form, exhausted and its power fading fast.

"Even if you defeat me here, I will find a way back to this plane. I will track you down and destroy you for this transgression..." the spirit screamed, the white light in its eyes ablaze.

Astrid reared up and drove her hand into the spirit's chest. She felt a white heat at her fingertips and she closed her fist over it. Ripping out a white ball of energy, she held it out over the spirit's face. "Bring it."

As the fire extinguished in her hands, the light faded from the spirit's eyes and it vanished from sight. Sighing with relief, Astrid closed her eyes and quickly returned to her body.

Reality struck home like being hit by a car. Her breathing was laboured and her body was covered in burns both from her summoning efforts and the spirit's attacks. She attempted to stand, but let out a cry of pain and collapsed back to the ground with a coughing spell. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she reached for her commlink and held down the 'Transmit' icon.

"Go now!" she said in as strong a voice as she could muster, before collapsing to the floor to conserve her energy.

* * *

><p>Upon hearing Astrid's signal De Madera started to move, rummaging for Alberich's toy in his pockets.<p>

"The truly faithful will see the heathens removed," the priest said, looking to Robert. The man they were there to recover, stood in his chair and wearing a happy grin, drew a pistol, pointing it at Gemini. Madera sat upright and jabbed the stun baton into Robert's side causing him to briefly twitch and fall unconscious to the floor.

"You!" the priest yelled, pointing a finger at De Madera. "You aren't welcome here!"

"Oh well, one more place on the list..." he said with a shrug. Pulling out a tiny vial of liquid, he quipped a mock "Praise Jesus!" and hurled it at the priest. The prop glass the vial was made from shattered as it struck the priest's chest, spraying him with a glycerin solution full of RFID markers.

"What is this?" the priest asked, touching the wet splash and sniffing the concoction.

"Holy water, you twisted bastard," De Madera said, with a grin.

"H-holy water? I am the embodiment of all that is Holy! What do you hope to accomplish? My God will shield me from all ill will."

"OK then, riddle me this, Batman. If your 'God' protects you from all ill will, then how did my little water bomb hit you?"

For the first time, the priest's arrogance slipped away and a worried look crossed his face.

* * *

><p>When Alberich heard Astrid's voice, he threw off the blanket and picked up his rifle. Walking over to the nearest window, he lifted the tired wooden-framed glass and let the dusk's air wash into the enclosed space. He shouldered the weapon and knelt down to keep a low profile, looking through the scope at the church's wall.<p>

As his hand closed over the stock by the trigger guard, the reticule of the smartlink built into his contact lenses popped up. Wind speed and direction were factored into the ballistic arc and the targeting computer corrected accordingly.

The moment De Madera's vial struck the priest, Alberich's image link showed the point of impact as a blue area in his field of vision. He made out the contour of the priests' chest, despite the wall of the church being between him and the target. He took careful aim, controlled his breathing and centred the crosshair on his mark.

"Say goodnight," he muttered as he gently squeezed the trigger.

* * *

><p>"I have stayed true to my God. There was no need to protect me from a little splash of water," the priest said, digging up his confidence.<p>

"I beg to differ," Madera said.

There was a crash of glass as part of the stain glass window overlooking the pulpit blew out. The bullet struck the priest square in the chest, spraying a fine mist of red out the other side. The people in the church immediately panicked and ran for the exits, but the two runners inside remained where they were.

As if frozen in time, the priest remained on his feet, his hands still outstretched. The fading sunlight streamed in through the shattered glass, highlighting the dark circle in his chest and the growing pool of maroon radiating out from it.

"My Lord... Why have you...?"

The priest fell to his knees briefly before pitching forward and falling face down on the floor.

"Time to go," De Madera said, stowing his baton and starting to scoop up Robert's limp body. "A little help here and this will go a lot faster."

With Madera and Gemini under his arms, they dragged their unconscious quarry out of the church before Knight Errant arrived to investigate the shooting.

* * *

><p>X3 felt the cool night air settling in, as he crept along the rooftops of Renton. The small portion of the city that the Triads had set up shop was a tightly knit community, but was ultimately controlled by the criminals. He found the bakery easily enough and crept along the roof watching the guard patterns.<p>

"Way to draw attention, boys. Legitimate bakeries don't need guards..." he muttered under his breath.

As a guard neared the rear door, he soundlessly jumped to the ground behind the Triad man. Wrapping his hands around the man's neck, he pulled him over backwards, driving his knee up into the man's back. The spur implanted in his leg fired up into the guard's torso and as the man let out a muffled scream, X3 gave a sharp twist. With a crack the guard fell limp to the ground. The assassin dragged the body into the pile of garbage at the rear of the building and took the man's commlink. Holding the dead guard's commlink to the door, the lock clicked and X3 slid inside.

Moving cautiously, he looked around the storeroom he found himself in. There were boxes of baking supplies and kitchen tools, but there was also a remote corner filled with boxes with no labels. X3 could easily guess their contents.

As he neared the door to the kitchen, he heard discussion in Cantonese beyond the door and footfalls moving in his direction. Standing behind where the door would open toward, he ejected his arm spurs and waited. The door swung in and a Chinese man strode into the store room heading for the Mescaline stockpile. As the door closed, X3 moved quickly and quietly. He made three quick attacks: one to the back of the leg to drive the man down, as he fell forward, a blade to the back and finally, a grip on the man's hair and a blade raked across the neck.

Gasping for air and bleeding out, X3 pushed the dying man into a dark corner and moved toward the door. He pulled it open slightly and peered into the kitchen. Two others were mixing ingredients and getting ready to make a new batch of treats for unsuspecting clients. Waiting in ambush for the men, it wasn't until one of the cooks wondered what was keeping their friend that one drew close. X3 burst from the storeroom and closed his hand over the one cook's mouth, twisting his neck at a painful angle to keep him contained. Spinning around to keep his hostage in front of him, he drew his HK-227X just as the other cook went for his weapon.

By the time the Triad man had raised his handgun X3 was already holding the trigger. The sound suppressed burst stitched the man's torso and dropped him to the ground, slumped against the stainless steel kitchen cupboards. With a jerk, he severed the spine of his hostage and moved toward the door that read "Manager".

The runner strode in through the door and as the manager looked up, X3 pointed the gun at the man. "Good evening. So much as twitch and I fire."

To the man's credit, he didn't even nod to acknowledge. He merely froze in place and kept his eyes on the runner before him. Dressed entirely in black, tight-fitting attire, the man was obviously augmented. Even the runner's eyes had been adjusted to turn their surface solid black.

"What do you want?" the manager asked.

"It's a long list," X3 said. "Ultimately, I've just come to shut down your little operation here. People frown when you dole out confections laced with drugs."

"It was just business," the man said, still remaining motionless. "We had to get an edge on our competition."

"By lacing your food with a hallucinogen? Are you mental?"

"We worked with what we had at our disposal. We kept doses low enough to not cause overdoses..."

"But enough to turn children into addicts?"

X3 froze for a moment. He cared. As much as he disagreed with Gemini about her 'pay-it-forward' mentality, he did care. Damn. The elf could never know.

Popping out one of his gore-streaked spurs, he placed it against the manager's throat. "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. You are to answer promptly and with no extras. If you start explaining things, I'm going to be forced to kill you, understand?"

"Yes," the manager said. He was a quick study, it seemed.

"Do you have any other stores of Mescaline aside from what's in your back room?"

"No."

"You have a fund you use for keeping this place in business, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can I access it from your commlink?"

"Yes."

"Is it password protected?"

"Yes."

"Give me the password."

The man rhymed off the digits required to access the commlink and X3 recorded them on his Image Link for future access.

"Thank you for your cooperation," he said, raising the gun.

"Wait! I thought you were going to let me live!"

"I never said that. In case stupidity is contagious, I need to stop the spread here..."

Firing twice, he dropped the man before he could reach for a weapon or PanicButton. He then retrieved the man's commlink and entered the provided password. The commlink decrypted the information and showed a bank balance with just over 10,000¥ in it.

"That's a nice little bonus..." he said with a smile.

Returning to the kitchen, he set the burners to a fifteen minute delay to light and then severed the gas line feeding into the bank of ranges. He left the building promptly and watched from a block away until he saw the explosion that signified the job was complete. Slipping away into the darkening city, he moved to rendezvous with the team as sirens converged on the former bakery.


	5. Chapter 5

"Robbie!"

The team, minus Astrid, who was recovering at the safehouse, arrived at the location their employer had chosen for the meet: the parking lot of a shopping center. De Madera and X3 carried the limp form of her brother to her car and set him into the passenger seat.

"What happened to him?"

Gemini moved closer to Ms. Johnson and spoke in an even tone, looking for passersby who might overhear something. "This was the simplest means to keep him safe. He'll wake up soon. He had fallen into a religious order and was being manipulated by magic and drugs. He may have a mild addiction to Red Mescaline, so you may have a long road ahead. But if you hadn't been so worried about him, he would be far worse off than he is now."

She looked at her brother with a sympathetic eye and nodded. "Thank you so much. I know I can pull him out of this. Here's what I promised you."

She handed Gemini a certified credstick with a balance of 20,000¥ on it and for a brief moment, Gemini considered rejecting it. Knowing how well that would be received by her teammates, she took the offered payment and nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Johnson. It was a pleasure working with you."

"Where am I?"

Robert was awake and he frantically searched his surroundings for something familiar. Their employer quickly moved to his side. "Hey Robbie. How are you doing?"

"Amy? What are you...?" he looked around, saw the backs of the runners as they walked away and turned back to his sister. "There was this priest at a local soup kitchen and he suggested that I..."

Amy Monroe shushed him and smiled weakly. "Hey, don't you worry about any of that right now, all right? How about you come by my place, I'll cook up some dinner and we can talk there, OK?"

Robert nodded and sat numbly in his seat. The faintest hint of a tremor was visible in his hands, as the cravings were starting to creep in, but he clenched his fist and tried to push it from his mind. He wanted so badly to go back to the church, but he knew that he'd do just fine with his sister's help.

* * *

><p>"Wait, what? What am I looking at here?"<p>

Fiona Glenarm stood in a board room at Renraku, handing out her proposal on the Daikida acquisition. "It's my proposal. Is there a problem?"

"Since when were we planning on retaining this company? I thought this was a harvest operation."

"Initially it was. But then I started investigating the company. Did everyone fail to realize that this company has turned a profit every year since its inception? This company may be small by our standards, but they are a solid local company with a lot of potential."

"What's your point, Ms. Glenarm?" the Japanese man seated at the end of the table said, leaning forward to study her response.

"My point is this: Renraku doesn't have a very good reputation in this city. The unfortunate events at the Arcology over a decade ago are still the first thing the people in this city think of when our company is mentioned. Daikida, while small, has been providing reliable software to this city and is a trusted source. Why not leverage that company's popularity? If we take it over and tear it apart, it will do nothing for our local image. We acquire it, take the personnel we need and assign them some of our young minds. Our up-and-coming developers can get some field experience, Daikida can make us some money and it can help us establish a more even foothold in this city. I don't see a loss here."

There was a murmur of discussion that passed through the room as her points were weighed. "It still seems we're taking on some dead weight for the purposes of PR..." the executive at the end of the table stated.

"Sometimes we need to take chances to get ahead, Okuda-san. This company is profitable, so even if we change nothing within the company, our overhead should be negligible. At the same time, we can take our software that isn't selling well locally, rebrand it and use the Daikida name to sell copies. If anything, our profit margins should rise."

Chatter in Japanese rippled through the board room and after a moment, Okuda motioned for silence. "I will take your proposal to the senior executives. I don't see them rejecting your idea, Ms. Glenarm. Go ahead and draw up the paperwork for the proposal."

Fiona smiled and nodded. It was a token gesture to keep Amy Monroe from losing her job, but she was in a position of influence and could make positive changes. Sometimes that was worth far more than money.


End file.
